When barbecuing, whether in a smoker, on a grill, or otherwise, it can be very important to maintain a constant cooking temperature. Commonly, the temperature within a stove's cooking chamber, or within its fire chamber, is monitored either directly or indirectly with a thermometer or other means, to ensure that it remains sufficiently constant. To maintain a constant temperature, the thermometer must generally be closely monitored, and can be adjusted by either adding fuel to the fire, if needed, or by manually adjusting a vent opening to change the rate at which the fuel burns.
Often, the proper combination of air flow and fuel required to maintain a constant temperature within a stove chamber is determined through a laborious process of trial and error. In some cases, if a stove is not constantly attended, the temperature within a chamber of the stove can vary significantly enough to produce less than optimal results. It is clear therefore that there is room for improvement in conventional methods used to control the temperature of a stove chamber.